Feinberg Perspectives

At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, Cook County Jail in Chicago reported the highest rate of virus infection in a congregate setting. As cases in Chicago peaked, cases in the jail started to decline and by June reflected cases coming in from the community. Cook County Jail Medical Director Dr. Connie Mennella started her medical training at Feinberg in 1984 and has spent her entire career in correctional medicine, starting at the Cermak Health Services in 1991. Dr. Mennella shares how they overcame this surge in the jail with protocols like social distancing and increased testing, emphasizing that correctional health is community health.